The difference in pay between arts administrators and those who actually make the art would be funny if not so tragic.

It's not just money; it's other resources, too. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've lit shows in well appointed theatres with lighting fixtures that were older than the electricians who were hanging and focusing them.

When I worked at...oh, let's call it "Florida Teeny-Tiny Theatre"...in 1999, everybody in the front office had Pentium computers (the general manager had two) while the entire production department shared one 486 machine.

a 486 huh? man that brings back memories. I paid big bucks for my first computer which was a 386

You guys have hit the nail on the head with the topic of how much is spent on the administration as opposed to the art itself. The Miami Performing Arts Center is a prime example. Much of the now wasted money was approved in the planning stages using the excuse that it would help to sell the 1000's of condos being developed in the immediate area and I am not eggzagerating<---(spelling???) with the quote "1000's". The predicted and inevitable real estate crash happened and now everyone is starring at everyone else waiting for someone to blink and take responsibility. Meanwhile this CEO wants a raise??? I STILL can't believe it !

Like I keep telling people, what would have been wrong with building a 100 Million dollar complex and then creating an endowment with the remaining 400 Million to subsidize development of local dade county arts organizations??? Can you imagine? That would have been a dream come true for many of the starving south floridian performing artists and resident arts organizations.

If you look at as many theatre, dance, and opera web sites as I do*, you get depressed at the number who list designers -- if they list us at all -- nit under "Artists" but as "Staff".

I've mentioned before the number of times artistic directors have told me that they're not hiring a lighting designer; they just use whoever works at the theater. And that's over and above the number of choreographers who think they can "design" their own costumes.

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